The Imām reciting Basmalah aloud (during Salah)

[Abu Faatimah]

وسئل الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين رحمه الله
ما حكم الجهر بالبسملة ؟

فأجاب: " الراجح: أن الجهر بالبسملة لا ينبغي وأن السنَّة الإسرار بها لأنها ليست من الفاتحة ولكن لو جهر بها أحياناً: فلا حرج بل قد قال بعض أهل العلم: "إنه ينبغي أن يجهر بها أحياناً لأن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قد روي عنه" أنه كان يجهر بها ".

ولكن الثابت عنه صلى الله عليه وسلم "أنه كان لا يجهر بها" وهذا الأولى: أن لا يجهر بها.
ولكن لو جهر بها تأليفاً لقوم مذهبهم الجهر: فأرجو أن لا يكون به بأس".

مجموع فتاوى الشيخ العثيمين 109/13

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Sālih al-Uthaymeen (may Allāh have mercy on him) was asked regarding the Imām reciting the Basmalah aloud (during Salah):

The most correct view is that the Basmalah should not be recited out loud, and that the Sunnah is to recite it quietly, because it is not part of al-Fātiha. But if it is recited out loud sometimes, there is nothing wrong with that. In fact some of the scholars said that it should be recited out loud sometimes, because it was recited from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that he used to recite it out loud. But what is proven from him (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is that he did not recite it out loud, and this is the preferred view, that he did not recite it out loud.

But if (the imām) recites it out loud in order to soften the hearts of people whose madhhab says that it is to be recited out loud, then I hope that there is nothing wrong with that.

Majmū Fatāwa ash-Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen 13/109

Translated by Authentic Quotes of Facebook